SFGate: Budget travel

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Sunday, May 31, 2009 (SF Chronicle)
Budget travel
Arthur Frommer


   I'm troubled (to say the least) by an example of discrimination practiced
flagrantly at the airports of America, in the plain sight of everyone. And
I'm puzzled as to why an uproar hasn't emerged on the part of economy
passengers.
   Here's the background:
   I've recently been flying a great deal on United Airlines. And guess what
happens when you buy a United Airlines ticket on the Web? After obtaining
the price, you are suddenly told that for $39 more, you can purchase all
sorts of extra privileges, including the right to use the airport security
lines maintained for business-class and first-class passengers.
   Yes, Mr. and Mrs. America, special "premier" security lines are maintain=
ed
for business-class and first-class passengers by the Transportation
Security Administration, funded by our own Sept. 11 air-ticket fees. And
since there are far fewer people in the up-front areas of passenger
airplanes, the lines they encounter obviously are much shorter than those
in which us plebeians, us proletarians, stand.
   I can understand why United Airlines is pushing the privilege. But the
Transportation Security Administration? Where does it get off in acceding
to and cooperating in a blatant effort to create different classes of air
passengers?
   Usually when I make arguments of this sort, I'm accused by our more
conservative readers of liberal hysteria. But isn't this the kind of
nondemocratic (small "d") mischief that even conservatives should decry?
I'd love to hear from them.

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Copyright 2009 SF Chronicle

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